I have heard it said that people are no longer interested in speeds and feeds. What they don't understand is that this is what drives technology. Faster, more memory, etc. is the critical component that makes new applications, such as voice recognition in embedded systems, possible. The speed and density that comes with smaller feature sizes makes this kind of thing possible.

With the increase in available, low power storage using flash memory applications that use lots of memory, such as speach and image processing become possible. In this, we are basically mimicking the human brain.

Good observation naperlou. It use to be that people who bought electronic products knew the details - speed, size, etc. Now it has advanced enought that they don't even know what have those values mean anymore...just long as it works.

Practically all electronic devices today contain metals that may
be coming from conflict-ravaged African countries. And political pressures will increasingly influence how these minerals are sourced and used in products.

Design for manufacturing (DFM) in mold production means that mold designers evaluate the manufacturability of their molds in the early stage of mold development by collecting all relevant information and applying it to their designs. They also have to consider many other factors, including flow balance, structural stress, and assembly tolerance, in order to ensure successful molding production.

Some adhesives provide strong structural bonds but take hours to fixture and attain handling strength. The technologies that offer the fastest cure do not bear loads or withstand stresses. A new class of adhesives aims to make both stick.

Focus on Fundamentals consists of 45-minute on-line classes that cover a host of technologies. You learn without leaving the comfort of your desk. All classes are taught by subject-matter experts and all are archived. So if you can't attend live, attend at your convenience.